The 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit was outstandingly successful. We have to give credit to the ASEAN National Organizing Council headed by Ambassador Jun Paynor and the entire Department of Foreign Affairs.

An informal survey revealed that 90 percent of Filipinos welcome this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Philippines to host the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Meetings, which also coincides with the 50th founding anniversary of the ASEAN.

The ASEAN Summit is probably the most important event taking place in this part of the world. It’s all set to take place from Nov. 10 to 14 with 21 world leaders plus United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expected to attend.

Last Friday, I was invited by the Philippine Bar Association – the oldest voluntary organization of lawyers in the country – to be their keynote speaker on the occasion of their Law Day celebration, which also coincided with the induction of their new set of officers led by Atty. Benjami...

A lot of media people including our friend Tony Lopez, the chairman of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC), welcome the president’s order to allow members of the media to cover the anti-illegal drugs operations of the Philippine National Police.

A week after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, the devastation continues to be felt with damage estimated at over $108 billion. Over in Houston – the fourth largest city in the United States – Harvey dumped more than 20 trillion gallons of water, enough to supply the requirements...

After telling North Korea that it will be met with “fire, fury and power” the likes of which the world has never seen, US president Donald Trump issued an even stronger warning that the US military is “locked and loaded” should the Asian nation choose to “act unwisely....

Somebody close to one of the senators who met with President Duterte last Tuesday night confirmed that the decision to extend martial law in Mindanao up to December 31 this year was not only justified, but “absolutely necessary” to avert the spread of terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf...

Last Thursday we joined Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and US Ambassador Kim for the formal turnover of two Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City (see photos in This Week on PeopleAsia at the Allure section of the PhilSta...

What is really worrisome for the United States, and in fact in this part of the globe as well, is North Korea. This was emphasized by former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright when we met with her at a small private dinner hosted by US Ambassador Sung Kim (see photos in This Week on PeopleAsia at...